Best High School Runners Who Never Did a Thing in College or After

Caitlin Chock

pre-German wrote:

Jeff Nelson of Burbank, CA

130-150mpw in HS pretty much sealed his fate for future success.

PaulT wrote:

After talkIng with Grosso, it seems that the story told here is not factual. He knew nothing about scalping tickets or prison time. However, he does recognize that he has made some crazy decisions in life.

He was a great one!

I am from Michigan and he was a great one. One guy from our school was extremely talented (like Grosso) in that he didn't train very hard, just what the coaches told him to do, nothing in the summer and nothing on his own during the season and he ran 1:56/4:19/9:29. His best result though was 2nd to Grosso at State Meet (back when State Meets were divided between Team race and Individual race) the year before he won Kinney Championships.

I graduated the same year as Grosso and went on a recruiting trip to MSU, apparently 2 weeks after Grosso had. My name is Brian also and since I was from Michigan several of the Michigan guys were joking about his recruiting visit. Apparently it involved breaking in a ground-level dorm room window, peeping, stealing some jewelry or something. I was really freaked out by this, because we all thought of Grosso as the guy who could run sub-9:00 when Williams could not and we all assumed that he was going to be the next Alberto Salazar. I never found out if they wanted Grosso to even attend ... the XC coach at the time was very straight-laced and serious, and he seemed to know all about what happened. So I don't know if that was a deal-breaker or not. I don't think any of the cold weather schools were in the cards for him anyway.

I have heard about this recruiting visit more times over the years, but I don't know what happened for sure, so don't quote me on it. It seems like 10 years ago, but it is really a long time ago now.

hokay umm here wrote:

Brian Sullivan and Steve Magness have to be the top 2 from Texas never to do a damn thing. Although, Magness is a scientific coach or something now, so maybe it was a personal choice to quit. Sully just sucked

Sully was actually pretty fit as during his redshirt year at IU, but I think he just lost interest in running.

Who was the kid that went to florida (same era) that was really a criminal? He wild have been the classof 88 or 89.

Where's the Love? wrote:

[quote]pre-German wrote:

Jeff Nelson of Burbank, CA

130-150mpw in HS pretty much sealed his fate for future success.[/quote

He did some high mileage his before his senior year but I've read "up to" 120 miles a week a few weeks in the summer.

But yeah, he wan't going to improve as much but still ran 13:44 as a true freshman in college.

He ran 3:44 for 1500m, not 13:44 as a freshman.

If a student is a freshman, there is no need to add "true" in front of it.

That is as asinine as 'full' mile.

As a big time DI coach, I know.

coach d. wrote:

He ran 3:44 for 1500m, not 13:44 as a freshman.

If a student is a freshman, there is no need to add "true" in front of it.

That is as asinine as 'full' mile.

As a big time DI coach, I know.

ummm when EVERYONE grows up calling 4 laps around the track "the mile". you have to make the clear distinction between 1600 meters and the full mile of 1,609 meters.

Coach Douche, I'm pretty sure has under 13:50 as a freshman because I could have sworn he was on the American Junior 5000 top 10, as I was at one time. I'll try to find that list when I have time.

Many freshman redshirt in cross country at the high level programs. Maybe not at yours. A fast time at that age for distance races is notable.

Marc Davis was not a true freshman when he ran 13:32 at Arizona at age 19.

Carl Moe

4:05 and 8:48

Ran at Washington, never heard from again.

Wise Arse wrote:

Franklyn Sanchez, Andy Powell. Two huge ones.

QFE both ran under 8:50 in high school. In college sanchez came in 5th at NCAAs his freshamn year but then did nothing. Powell had a college career but never lived up to the hype.

do something yourself wrote:

Everyone running this post is looking for a reason to feel good about themselves by looking down at other runners. Grow up.

Everyone running this post is looking for a reason to feel good about themselves by looking down at other runners. Grow up.

Everyone running this post is looking for a reason to feel good about themselves by looking down at other runners. Grow up.

Everyone running this post is looking for a reason to feel good about themselves by looking down at other runners. Grow up.

Everyone running this post is looking for a reason to feel good about themselves by looking down at other runners. Grow up.

DITTO!!!!!!!!!

bangalangadanga wrote:

coach d. wrote:

He ran 3:44 for 1500m, not 13:44 as a freshman.

If a student is a freshman, there is no need to add "true" in front of it.

That is as asinine as 'full' mile.

As a big time DI coach, I know.

ummm when EVERYONE grows up calling 4 laps around the track "the mile". you have to make the clear distinction between 1600 meters and the full mile of 1,609 meters.

You can make the distinction between a mile and 1600 meters if you want, just don't make up a distance called the "full" mile.

I can't verify that Nelson ran 13:44 as a freshman so maybe coach d is right, and I'm thinking of 3:44 instead. If that's the case, 3:44 is a very good time for a freshman but not anywhere, but not any better than 8:36 for three miles.

asdfasdfas wrote:

You can make the distinction between a mile and 1600 meters if you want, just don't make up a distance called the "full" mile.

He's not making up a distance called the "full" mile. A full mile is a real distance just as a full gallon is a real volume and a full mug is a whole lot better than a half empty mug.

For the uninitiated, the full mile happens to equal 5280 feet , which is indisputably a real distance.

Away with words wrote:

asdfasdfas wrote:

You can make the distinction between a mile and 1600 meters if you want, just don't make up a distance called the "full" mile.

He's not making up a distance called the "full" mile. A full mile is a real distance just as a full gallon is a real volume and a full mug is a whole lot better than a half empty mug.

For the uninitiated, the full mile happens to equal 5280 feet , which is indisputably a real distance.

It is about a real a distance as a "complete mile", or a "totally finished mile", or "full done mile" - all of which are 5280 feet. But no one is dumb enough to call them that either.

I'm going to call it a full mile and you can suck it up or cry to your mom. Not a big deal to me which you choose.

Full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile full mile

free beer wrote:

pre-German wrote:

Jeff Nelson of Burbank, CA

Nelson ran 13:44 as a college freshman. He transferred and I believe won a JUCO national cross championship.

That's nice but it pales next to his high school 2 mile record of 8:36.3 which stood for 29 years until German Fernandez broke it in 2008. That's what he's remembered for as a runner.

You forgot option three - your mom crying to me that she raised a fool that believes in Santa Claus and the full mile.